Sweet Potato & Spinach Mess

Making It Up As We Go Along

The reality is we’re just making it all up. No-one taught us how to do life and yet we all expect ourselves and others to know what the hell we’re doing. We look to each other for guidance, affirmation and clues, but as none of us really know what we’re doing it doesn’t help much. We’ll follow this person for a bit, then that dietary regime for a bit, then that exercise discipline for a while longer – inching forward by increments and often feeling like we’re not doing as good a job as everyone else (Lady Comparison is a bwitch).

Chuck Out the Rule Book

We are a culture of exhausted, stressed-out overachievers who never feel as happy or as close to our dreams as we want to, despite all the self-development, meditation and self-love rules we’re trying to stick to. It’s time! It’s time to create a seismic shift in the art of living!!

The glorious thing about no-one really knowing what they’re doing is that we can decide to make up our own rules. I’m very inspired by Seth Godin at the moment (check out Marie Forleo’s interview). He’s reminding us that the way to be happy and successful is by being truly ourselves; the way to get ahead in life is to connect with people honestly and deeply.

Nurturing our huge capacity for love, vulnerability, courage and creativity is the way forward. Forget following someone else’s How To rule book. They won’t fulfill us, make us rich, make us feel loved or make us lose weight. Following someone else’s rules just makes us feel shit about ourselves because, despite following these rules, we can’t seem to achieve what the rule-book maker has achieved. It’s time to take our gurus off those pedestals! Not that they don’t have anything to teach us, but they can’t teach us how to live OUR one unique life. Let’s take what feels right from their teachings and ditch the rest.

I used to want to be like Tony Robbins, or Marie Forleo, or Ekhart Toll. Now I realise it’s much more fun, rewarding and interesting learning to be fully and uniquely me, rather than an inferior version of someone else.

Get in the Boat and Get Messy

I have come to learn that life isn’t about achieving some continual happiness high. Without the lows we wouldn’t notice or appreciate the joyful altitudes of our human existence. What I’ve learnt is not to take the dramas or the lows too seriously – to batten down the hatches and ride them out like a ship in a storm, or sit them out like a boat on a becalmed sea (think Life of Pi – watch it if you haven’t already!).

Let our lives be like a painter’s smock – one of the things I love and admire most in the world because it screams ‘RULE BREAKER!’. and yet squirm at because the paint splatters are so random and messy. If you’re reading this I know you are joining me in the revolution!! Let’s get on with creating messy, mistake-filled, creative and unique lives that end up tasting delicious because of all their colours and flavours!

A bit like today’s yummy recipe 🙂

This Week’s Recipe: Sweet Potato & Spinach Mess

I know the title of this delish recipe isn’t very good – I couldn’t think of anything better and it does explain it: cut it all up, chuck it in a bowl and mix it up. Job done 🙂 Don’t let the name fool you though – it tastes divine and is perfect for a cold-weather supper or for taking to work for lunch.